


For Science

by Writingwife83



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, I want to write it so there, Overused trope, Sherlock Holmes Has Feelings, Sherlock Is A Bit Not Good, and yet I'm using it some more, kissing "research", maybe more tags and characters to come
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-25
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-02 00:30:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8644354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writingwife83/pseuds/Writingwife83
Summary: Sherlock is in the habit of breaking everything down to a science. In this case, the project that he and Molly embark on will be much more than just an intellectual exercise. ;D





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Friday, readers!! :D This idea hit me yesterday morning and I kinda had to run with it. As stated in the tags, I am so very well aware that this setup for a fic is nothing super original and variations of this idea have been done many times. But I also can't seem to care seeing as...basically I just wanted to write it. :) #there's no rules

The cells on the slide were indeed enlarged, showing signs of having been stimulated, some close to bursting, evidence of a chemical stimulant, likely to match what was found in the dead man’s pockets. Hopefully NSY forensics would be able to confirm within the next two days as Anderson had promised they would.

“Rather inflated claims,” Sherlock muttered.

Molly looked up from the microscope, glancing over to where Sherlock sat reading.

“What is?”

“Oh just some rubbish about the massive health benefits of kissing.”

Molly stopped and looked up again. “Sorry, what are you reading?”

“Some women’s…fitness…health…lifestyle something or other magazine,” he said with a dramatic sigh as he tossed the magazine onto a counter. “Bored!”

Molly rolled her eyes and tried to focus her attention back on the sample she was attempting to analyze…she really really tried. Against her better judgement, a minute later she spoke up.

“Kissing genuinely does release chemicals and hormones in the body that make you happy and relieve stress. It’s actually been scientifically proven.”

Sherlock shrugged, unmoving from where he leaned against the lab wall. “That may be so. I’ve just never personally seen the proof.”

She stopped, frozen as she considered his statement. “Yeah but you- I mean you _have_ -“

“Yes I’ve engaged in kissing, that’s my point.” Sherlock stood up with a little hop, now strolling over to the table she was working at. “I’m fairly sure that never in any of those instances have I felt a release of stress, a chemical high, or a sense of euphoria.”

“And I’m fairly sure that in none of those instances did you draw and test your blood to analyze the hormones and chemicals present directly afterward,” Molly countered with a laugh. “You’re not some kind of machine, Sherlock. You will react physically just like any human being would.”

“Supposedly.”

His childlike stubborn response made Molly clench her jaw in irritation. But almost in the same moment, she fired back what felt like the perfect response.

“Well why don’t you prove it?”

Sherlock raised a brow in question.

“Conduct your own study and be your own test subject. Analyze the after effects of kissing on yourself and then you’ll see for sure whether or not those things happen to you.”

He stared at her, silently considering this.

“Oh come on,” Molly prodded some more. “You’ve been driving me insane at Bart’s for the past three days! Obviously you don’t have anything else going right now. And I don’t think your mold cultures in the closet count. Just conduct your own experiment on yourself!”

“Yes,” he finally responded, slowly and thoughtfully. “Yes, I suppose that would be somewhat enlightening…give me something to do.”

“Good! Well you’d better get to it then!” She smiled brightly but then spoke under her breath while looking back into the microscope. “Sure you’ll have plenty of willing volunteers.”

She would later swear she didn’t know how he so quickly and quietly covered the ground to be suddenly standing right next to her, his low rumbling question catching her completely off guard.

“You’ll help me then?”

Molly’s gaze shot up to look at him no small amount of shock. “Oh, um, that sort of…depends…”

“On?”

“On specifically what I’m helping you with,” she clarified hesitantly.

Sherlock looked confused. “All of it.”

Molly pressed her lips together tightly as she considered whether to question him further or to just take his answer for what it seemed to imply…bizarre as that may be.

She cleared her throat. “Well, I suppose I could arrange for a um, work space with all the needed equipment, if that’s what you’re hoping for.”

“Yes, that would be excellent.” His eyes got a little brighter as he clearly began thinking about all the particulars of the testing. “We’ll need to monitor heart rate, and also blood pressure seeing as the claims of dilating blood vessels could presumably mean a lower pressure reading.”

“You’d need a blood sample prior to the…act,” Molly added. “And then afterward of course.”

“Mm, if you’re able to do that as well that would be quite helpful.” He took out his mobile and began typing away, making notes or searching something perhaps.

“I can run the results, but real cases and request from the hospital will come first. You just tell me when and I’ll set aside the space and you can just show up with…” She hoped to clear things up for certain at this point. “With whoever will be your assistant.”

Sherlock narrowed his eyes. “I thought we just established that you would be my assistant.”

“Yeah, well, for the leg work of the research. But I thought you would have someone else helping you with the um…lip work.” She spared a moment for a little giggle.

“Who else would I have?”

This deadpan question took her aback.

"Um, I don’t know. I just thought maybe it would be better if it weren’t someone you…know.”

“So you think I should enlist a stranger to come to Bart’s and kiss me while hooked up to monitors?”

"Well I know that does sound strange, but I just thought that maybe…I don’t know…” There were a myriad of reasons why she thought this could be a bad idea, but it was a little difficult to say _to him_.

Sherlock made a little “ah” expression. “My apologies, Molly,” he stated quickly, even appearing noticeably contrite. “I would never ask you to participate in something you’re uncomfortable with. Perhaps I’ll talk to John and Mary and see if they have some acquaintance who wouldn’t mind-“

_Oh heaven help me_ … “No, it’s fine, I’ll do it,” she blurted out.

“You’re sure?”

“Yep, absolutely, it’s no problem and I’m not uncomfortable.” She bobbed her head in a little nod of confirmation.

Sherlock visually scanned her for a moment, as if making sure her answer was genuine. Finally he nodded. “Right then, good. It’s settled. Will tomorrow at six work?”

“Yeah that’ll work well since I get off work at-“

“Yes, I know you do,” he said with a little smirk. He grabbed his coat and scarf from off the chair by the door and gave her a little smile on his way out. “Tomorrow then!”

“Tomorrow,” she softly answered to herself after he was out the door. She groaned and placed a palm on her forehead with a little smack. “God, I’m such an idiot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, I'm gonna drag this out a bit. Not sure how much, but I'm pretty sure it'll be more than 2 chapters. Maybe 3...maybe 4...maybe it turns into a 35 ch epic saga! LOL, no jk, that makes me tired even to think about! XD  
> Anyway, my point is that part 2 will post soon hopefully. See you then! ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the research begin! All in the name of science of course... *serious face* ;)

Sherlock's footsteps echoed along the hallway of Bart's as he strolled toward his destination. Molly had sent him a text ahead of time, instructing him which floor and room to meet her in. He approached the door and saw that a "Testing In Progress" sign had been posted and smiled at her clever thinking. He entered the room to see her rolling the blood pressure monitor over to the chair.

"Oh hi. I'm almost set up here."

She looked away a little too quickly, and as Sherlock discarded his coat and suit jacket on the hook by the door he couldn't help but observe that she was a bit nervous.

"There hasn't been anyone since Tom," he stated matter-of-factly as he walked over and took a seat.

"Sorry?"

"You haven't been dating since your broken engagement, therefore you haven't kissed a man since Tom." He looked into her eyes. "Explains how nervous you are."

She hesitated, opening and shutting her mouth first before actually answering. "Right, yes. That could definitely explain it."

"Not to worry, Molly," he assured her confidently as she placed the heart rate monitor on his finger. "Just think of it from a purely analytical perspective."

She frowned a little after straightening up, seeming in some way bothered by that statement. "Ok well you're all set. All that's left is for me to take the first blood sample." She pulled the little cart over and took out the needed kit, snapping gloves on. "I should probably warn you that it's been quite some time since I had to do any phlebotomy. At least not on anyone who cared whether it hurt."

"It's perfectly fine." He stuck his arm out with a grin. "Disassociation works with pain as well."

Sherlock noted that Molly was more skilled than she believed herself to be. She was able to get the needed samples with very little effort.

"Well that's a relief. One down, one to go!" She sighed and set the vials aside, removed her gloves, and then switched the blood pressure machine on to start reading while they talked. "Ok so, what's left now?"

"I can think of one thing," Sherlock stated sarcastically.

"Hilarious. Actually, there is something else I thought of earlier. We should decide on a time limit- no, I mean, a minimum time…you know what I mean." Her cheeks started to glow pink.

Sherlock narrowed his eyes in thought for a moment, imagining other things like how long it takes him to brush his teeth, send a text, tie his shoes…obviously this was a different sort of activity, but he needed something to compare to.

"Better make it a full minute, just to be safe. I imagine that's enough time for the promised hormones and chemicals to flood my system!"

"Ok, one minute," she agreed.

The blood pressure reading beeped, making Molly jump. They both chuckled a little and Molly took a moment to note his reading. She set the pen and paper down and straightened up again, a moment of silence settling in as they both realized that there really was nothing else left to do now.

"I'll just stand then," Sherlock stated, rising from his seat.

"Yeah I think that's probably easiest." She let out a little shaky laugh. "Sorry I'm short."

"I think I can bend a bit for one minute without any lasting damage."

Sherlock took out his mobile from his pocket. He set a timer for one minute and then looked down at the large brown eyes staring back at him. "I'll just…start the timer then."

Molly nodded while taking in a deep breath.

Sherlock hesitated for one more moment, his gaze flickering from her eyes down to her lips…and then he hit start.

The thing that first happened, unfortunately, was for their noses to awkwardly collide. Molly laughed in embarrassment and muttered an apology, though even Sherlock had to admit she may not have been the cause of the collision. She tilted her head a bit and Sherlock followed suit before attempting to move in again.

Their lips finally pressed together then and Sherlock wasted no time in initiating some sort of movement. He began to carefully use his mouth to break hers down in his mind. The temperature of her lips and the exact amount of pressure she was using...how fast she was breathing...precisely how far apart her lips were actually parted, and therefore how much his should be...and was it possible she actually used the same toothpaste as him? Yes it may just be…

Molly pulled away and placed a hand on his chest as she spoke firmly. "Ok, this isn't working."

For a brief moment, he truly couldn't believe what he was hearing. And his expression surely told the tale.

"I'm sorry?" He looked down at her in pure shock, awaiting an explanation.

"This kiss, what you're doing right now...it's not going to tell us anything. Not anything accurate at least."

His mouth set in a hard line. This was Molly Hooper! The woman who had probably fantasized about kissing him who knows how many times in the past. She was the last woman he expected to announce that he simply wasn't measuring up.

"Perhaps you should know that multiple women have expressed their enthusiastic appreciation of my kissing abilities, so I highly doubt that I lack as much as you claim!" Sherlock stated indignantly.

"Well sure, but that's because those other women clearly didn't know you...but I do," she said quite sincerely.

Her expression and tone soothed his aching ego just enough to make him decide against leaving the room this very instant and scrapping the whole plan.

"I don't know exactly what you were trying to accomplish a moment ago," Molly continued. "But it wasn't a genuine kiss that you could get lost in."

"Get lost in," Sherlock repeated with a little chuckle of doubt.

"Yes, that's right," Molly insisted. "That's what it's supposed to be like. And that's the kind of kiss that could cause literal changes in the body. So unless you're willing to kiss me like that, then this entire experiment is pointless. We're not here to test your acting abilities."

Yes, perhaps she had a point. That was usually what he was doing when he had kissed women in the past. It did come down to the fact that he was playing a part. There was always a _purpose_ to the whole thing. It wasn't done out of pure and unadulterated desire. That sort of thing had been so carefully and purposefully stamped out by him a long time ago.

Realizing all of that made him suddenly self-conscious. Because perhaps he didn't even _know_ how to kiss in that natural way. And even in this case, there was an agenda to this kiss. Sherlock was unsure if he could turn that off and truly do what Molly claimed he should.

In her typical fashion, Molly seemed to read his hesitance and bravely stepped up to take the lead.

"I think it didn't help before that we weren't really touching," she said gently. "That is, other than our lips. I think this would be better...if it's ok with you."

Molly slid her hands over his shoulders and behind his neck, watching him cautiously as she did.

"That's um- yes that's fine," he agreed softly.

"If you're comfortable, you can put your arms around me too. Might help." She gave him a little smile.

He nodded and complied, placing one hand on her hip. The other still held his mobile and he adjusted it to reset the timer before looking at her again.

"Should we try again?"

Molly nodded. "Yeah, I think so. Just um, just try not to think too much, ok?"

Sherlock raised a brow.

"I know," she admitted with a little laugh. "A tall order. Just do your best."

"Right," he agreed, his eyes scanning her features...including how dilated her pupils were- _no, not supposed to be deducing now_.

Realizing it was best to dive in before his mind took over, he hit the start on his mobile again.

As he tossed the phone on the chair behind him, he leaned down, making gentle contact with her lips once again. Despite what she'd just warned him about, he was a little distracted from the actual kiss at first, because both his hands now rested on her hips. Out of habit, he started to do some calculations about hip to waist ratio and noted how much of a mystery these usually were based on Molly's typical wardrobe and of course the lab coat and…

At that point though, Molly's hand splayed out a bit more on the back of his neck and her fingers actually sunk into his hair a little. Oh, but it did feel so very different this time now that her hands were actually on him. That was what seemed to trigger a domino effect. Without a conscious decision, his hands wrapped further around her waist, his lips parted, and then so did hers…

And that was when Sherlock's mind went rather blissfully blank.

A warm and comforting darkness washed over him, calming the madness and slowing the rush of...whatever it was he was trying to think of a moment before. By that time all he could focus on was that her lips felt so wonderfully soft and velvety as they moved and tugged on his, and that even the gentlest brush of her tongue against his made him practically forget how to breathe. It was all so hypnotizingly slow and soft, and yet the sensations were nothing short of earth shaking.

He was vaguely aware of the fact that his hands had left her hips and come up to cradle her face, gently tilting it for a slightly better angle. Apparently she didn't mind because along with the pounding of his own heartbeat in his ears, he also heard the surprisingly enjoyable sound of her sighing. He sucked a sharp breath through his nose as she also caught him off guard by curling her fingers up and fisting some of the hair on the back of his head.

The speed and voracity of their kiss began to increase then as Sherlock was struck with the sudden pang that he couldn't quite hold her close enough, or kiss her deeply enough. There just wasn't…enough. It was that invisible drive for something just out of reach that triggered a sort of desperation in their kisses which he found to be equal parts frustration and indescribable satisfaction.

That was also when the timer went off.

Sherlock felt her jolt at the sound and she stumbled out of his grasp and back a couple of feet, one hand clasped over her recovering lips and another perched on her hip. He stood there staring wide eyed at her and unable to move as they both took labored breaths. Finally, blinking, he let his hands drop down from where they had stayed hovering at the level of where her face had been and awkwardly fumbled for the chair behind him in order to take a seat.

"My um-" He cleared his throat as the words cracked. "My pressure- blood pressure reading."

"Yep, sure," Molly spat out and jumped forward to started the machine with fingers that were visibly shaky. She also placed the heart monitor on his finger, but then stepped back with arms crossed over her middle once the machine began to whir and the cuff tightened around his arm. He noted how actively she was trying to control her breathing before noting he was doing much the same.

"Judging from the fact that you are assessing results now, I would assume that went…" Sherlock mulled a number of possible words around in his mouth. Somehow none seemed to quite fit this particular situation. "Well." And that was the best he could do.

Molly nodded, chewing a little on her bottom lip. "Mm, yes it was definitely different this time around," she answered rapidly, also needing to clear her throat. "Good job." She visibly winced a little, obviously embarrassed at her wording.

Sherlock pursed his lips, waiting a moment but then deciding he'd have to remind her. "And shouldn't you take that second blood sample now?"

"Oh right!" She came back over and struggled to pull another pair of gloves on and open another kit, taking a few cleansing breaths that Sherlock noticed despite her attempt at discretion.

As she was doing all of that, the blood pressure machine finished. She took the cuff off and glanced at the reading. "Well, it's definitely a bit lower. And your heart rate-"

"Is definitely higher," Sherlock blurted out confidently, because that at least was something he could obverse without the help of technology.

"Yep, it is," Molly confirmed softly, and it seemed a little more color flooded into her cheeks at that moment.

Not surprisingly, it did take a bit more effort for her to catch a vein this time around, but she finally managed to get what was needed. All the while, they both evaded extended eye contact. Despite such intense pleasure only minutes before, Sherlock suddenly realized that he couldn't get out of this room fast enough.

The second Molly placed the little bandage in the crook of his arm, he was out of the chair and rolling his dress shirt sleeves back down.

"Text me when the results come in," he stated swiftly while slipping his suit jacket and coat back on.

"Well I can give you your exact blood pressure and heart rate now if you'd-"

"Thank you, no, I think I'll just get everything at once when I come back for the lab results."

He hazarded an actual glance at her then, which ended up feeling like a mistake when he took in her entire appearance. Rosy cheeks, pink and slightly parted lips, and big dark eyes stared back at him. It troubled him the way he almost walked right back over to where she stood…

"Thank you, Molly, you've been most helpful," he hurried to say before opening the door. "See you in a few days then."

He just barely caught her soft response of "my pleasure," before bolting from the room and heading down the hall.

As he walked briskly toward the nearest exit, he had to reluctantly admit that this experiment had gone a bit differently than he originally expected. He could now only assume that the numbers based evidence would also prove to be surprising. Perhaps Molly's original estimation of his ability for normal human reactions were more accurate than he thought. Yes, today's activities may have actually been quite a revelation.

But he was now also concerned it was a revelation better left uncovered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was fun to write...for obvious reasons lol. Kudos to Lexie for contributing with some excellent ideas! And as I mentioned before, I'm keeping this going a little. Not done yet! I'm planning to update again after working on my other fic that's still in progress right now. Thanks for reading and for all the kudos on that first chapter! ;D xoxo


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be perfectly frank, this fic is way too much fun lol! Hope you guys enjoy this latest part. ;)

Sherlock squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his lips tightly together, trying harder and harder to concentrate. A little reorganization of his mind palace was just the thing he needed to focus on. Something methodical, logical, and useful…if only he could stop getting distracted.

He finally sat up and let out a little growl of frustration as he picked up his mobile and opened up his email again in desperation. As was the case an hour before, there was only one option. And it involved a lost pet. There couldn't possibly be a case much less appealing and interesting than that. But under the circumstances, he was awfully close to taking it…

His mobile buzzed in his palm, a message coming in from Molly.

HI! THE BLOOD WORK FINALLY GOT DONE THIS MORNING. SHOULD I SEND YOU THE RESULTS? –MH

Sherlock paused and set the phone down for a moment. Yes, perhaps it would be best if he had Molly simply email him all the lab work and vitals. This little experiment had already taken up quite a bit of brain space and mental effort. It might be wise if he got the email, filed it away, and then never went back to it again. After all, he could just go take this case instead.

He opened up the client's email again…but almost immediately had the urge to throw his phone against the wall. Instead though, in this moment of frustration, he composed a text.

NO NEED, MOLLY. I'LL BE THERE IN TEN. –SH

He jumped up from his seat, unable to resist the urge to do something that was at least marginally interesting when the alternative was truly mind numbing. He swirled his coat around his shoulders and promptly exited the flat, not caring at the moment whether this was a wise idea or not.

* * *

Molly was standing at one of the lab table shuffling through some papers as Sherlock walked in. Her profile was perfectly displayed with the always noticeable slight upturn of her nose, a french braid graced the back of her head and fell over one shoulder, and he could see one of her favorite jumpers (the one with cherries) peeking out from under the lab coat. There was no denying the fact that she looked so very…Molly Hooper. And the fact that nothing was at all out of the ordinary made Sherlock wonder why an unfamiliar and uncomfortable wave of mild panic washed over him as he walked through the door.

"Oh you're just in time," she said, smiling brightly as he approached. "I just got this all ready for you. I think you'll find the results…pretty interesting."

"Interesting can be relative," he said flatly, taking the papers from her.

Sherlock first glanced at the blood pressure and heart rate readings. As he'd partly already seen that day, yes his pressure reading was lower and heart rate was faster after their kiss. Not much of a shock. He flipped the page over to look at the numbers from the first sample blood work. They had zeroed in on oxytocin, serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. The numbers all appeared about average for what he knew of for an adult male. He flipped the page again to look at the results for the post kiss blood samples. Ah…

No, he supposed he wasn't surprised. He had suspected that the lab work would reflect what he already knew just from his own effortless observation that day, which was that the kiss had a pretty significant chemical and physical effect on him. So it wasn't so much that he didn't expect these results, but seeing the actual numbers on paper was still a little jarring.

"So I'd say it was a success, eh?" Molly's voice chimed into his thoughts.

He looked up from the pages and at her, which prompted her to instantly backtrack her wording as color blossomed in her cheeks.

"Well, no, I don't really mean success. I'm not sure exactly what you would consider successful in this case. I guess I just mean things were pretty conclusive."

Sherlock looked back down at the pages he held. "Yes, I'd say so," he stated quickly.

He knew there wasn't much left to do here. The experiment was over, he held the results in his hand, and the results were admittedly conclusive. He drew a deep breath as he stuck the papers in his inside coat pocket.

"Well…thank you again for your assistance, Molly." Sherlock extended his hand.

Molly looked a little quizzically at him and his offered handshake before finally placing her small hand inside his. Their fingers closed securely around each other's hands and Sherlock shook slowly.

"You're welcome," Molly said with a nervous smile. "I didn't mind."

_Oh no,_ Sherlock though, looking down at her. Her pupils were dilated again and there was a fresh pink rushing to her cheeks. And in this simple handshake, he realized there was familiarity in the touch of her hand now; the same hand that had wrapped around the back of his neck and the same fingers which had taken gentle hold of his hair. He could remember it all too well now as her hand touched his. And then she had to go and bite her lower lip just a bit as she stared up at him…

"Right, well I've got to be going," Sherlock said a bit too loudly as he released her hand and instantly headed for the door.

"Oh, um, sure that's fine," Molly called after him. "I'll just see you later then?"

"Yes, absolutely, see you later," he shot back and hurried from the room, being sure not to look back at her as he went. That was what felt most important to him as he took his leave.

There had been quite enough of looking at Molly Hooper in the past few days.

* * *

"Sherlock!" John called, running after to catch up to where the wild eyed man had stopped at the street corner. "You want to maybe slow down for, I don't know, thirty seconds?!"

"Can't slow down, John, I'm on a case!"

"It's just a bloody missing poodle!" John roared, but then cleared his throat and made an awkward attempt at a wave when a woman walking her dog gave him a sneer. He lowered his voice. "Seriously, Sherlock, why are we suddenly killing ourselves? You've been acting like a mad man all day!"

"Just trying to _work,"_ he growled, ruffling at his hair while pacing the pavement. "I just wish I could figure out where else to look!"

"Why don't we have a breather and get a cup of coffee or something?"

"No no, already had coffee," he replied, but then paused and his eyes brightened. "No, I don't need coffee…I need a smoke."

"Sherlock, no!" John walked briskly after his friend as he was now on the move again. "Stop! You can't have a smoke now when you've been doing so well! You haven't even used the patches in weeks! We talked about this!" He grabbed Sherlock's arm, stopping him short.

"No, _we_ didn't talk! _You_ talked and I tried very hard not to listen!" He wrenched his arm away and tried to keep on walking but John stopped him again.

"I'm not going to let you buy anything containing nicotine right now, so you can just forget about it! I will punch you in the face if you try to go in any of these shops!"

Sherlock let out a frustrated growl. "Well what am I supposed to do?! If I can't smoke then what else can I do to feel-" He stopped mid-sentence and sucked in a little breath.

"What?"

"I need to go somewhere, and you cannot follow me," he said firmly, stepping over to hail a cab as he also fired off a text.

"Absolutely not! I just told you that I'd-"

"Relax, John, I'm not trying to sneak a cigarette nor anything else that would be considered "recreational." I'm going to see Molly. You can text her to confirm if you'd like."

"If you're going to see Molly, why can't I come?"

"You just can't." Sherlock opened the door of a cab that stopped for him and got in, rolling down the window to look up at John before driving away. "But hopefully I'll feel better shortly. Will be in touch!"

The cab drove away and John was left standing with a dumbfounded expression, wondering how many times in his life Sherlock Holmes would leave him at the drop of a hat with little or no explanation.

* * *

OH, SORRY, I'M NOT ACTUALLY AT WORK RIGHT NOW. CAN IT WAIT TILL TOMORROW? –MH

NOPE…EXACTLY WHERE ARE YOU? –SH

WELL, I'M AT BOROUGH MARKET, BUT I'M SORT OF BUSY SHOPPING. –MH

NOT FAR FROM THERE. SEE YOU IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. MEET ME BY THE FRENCH CHEESES. –SH

Sherlock smiled to himself, pleased with his idea although his leg still bounced in agitation during the cab ride. He really was in desperate need of calming down today. He could only hope that this new hypothesis of his would turn out to be correct.

A couple minutes later, Sherlock had paid the cabby and hopped out to make his way through the bustling Borough Market to where he'd asked Molly to wait. He smiled when he saw her standing there, holding her reusable shopping bags and glancing around probably in search of him.

"Sherlock!" She looked a little agitated once he approached. "What's going on? Is there some kind of emergency?"

"No, not exactly."

"And why did I just get a text from John telling me not to let you have a smoke?"

"Oh don't pay attention to that," he said dismissively. "Unbeknownst to him, that message to you is a bit redundant."

"What?"

"I do actually need your assistance though." He gently grasped her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Molly, I need you to kiss me again."

The man behind the counter of cheese glanced over with raised brows and a rather approving smile.

Molly's face slowly contorted into shock and confusion. "W-what?"

"I have a further theory having to do with our experiment last week and it's urgent that I test it out," he said, speaking rapidly. "So if we could kiss again, that would be incredibly helpful."

"Theory? What theory? Sherlock, I don't think this is such a-"

"Molly, please!" He wasn't even attempting to hide his desperation.

The woman standing near the petit romois leaned forward and looked at Molly. "Love', if you don't kiss 'im, I will."

Molly looked back at Sherlock, still in shock and clearly unsure of what to say or do next. His hands left her shoulders and instead came up to gently cradle her face as he looked intently at her.

"Molly, as I said last week, I'd never force you to do anything you don't want to do. So if you want to say no, you can say it and I'll walk away, I swear I will. But Molly, _please_ say yes _._ " He dropped his voice lower. " _Please_ let me kiss you."

Her expression softened and warmed as she stared back at him, and he knew for sure she wasn't going to turn him away when her eyes went to his lips.

"Ok fine," she breathed out.

Sherlock leaned forward instantly, but she pressed a hand against her chest.

"Well, not _right here_ obviously!"

Both Sherlock and Molly slowly turned to look at the cheese seller who was smiling slyly at them.

"Go on then," the man said with a wink, his French accent thick. He pointed off to the left. "Behind those boxes with you!"

Molly still seemed a little embarrassed, but Sherlock eagerly took her hand and led her back behind the suggested boxes, quickly taking her shopping bags off her shoulders and setting them down and again gently taking hold of her face. Molly began babbling a bit even as he leaned down.

"So no timing or specific readings or-"

"Not important," was all he managed to say in answer before their mouths locked together.

_Oh yes…_ this was what he needed. Sherlock felt that warm and comforting rush instantly this time. There wasn't much slow build up to this kiss, in the way that there had been the first time. This time it was if they'd picked up exactly where they left off. And where they had left off before was already rapidly reaching the boiling point.

Although one of Sherlock's hands stayed securely at the side of Molly's head, his other arm had snaked around her back to hold her snuggly against him. Molly wasn't bothering with much restraint either. Her arms slid inside his coat and wrapped around his torso, holding on just as tightly as he was. He could feel her fingers digging into his back through his clothing and the sensation made the experience all the more heavenly. Everything about their embrace seemed to only enhance the taste and feel of her lips and tongue against his.

Sherlock could tell when that now familiar chemical and hormonal high had fully flooded his system. He felt weightless and carefree, while also feeling as if he could take on the world. His agitation and stresses relieved, while still holding onto some measure of self-control, he made the conscious decision to end the kiss there.

Sherlock pulled away slowly, releasing a shaky breath as he looked down at Molly whose eyes were just barely opening again. He slowly lifted his lips in a small smile.

"Perfect," he murmured. "Just…perfect."

For a brief moment, Molly appeared almost emotional as she smiled back at him.

He finally pulled his hands away from her, taking as step back as he adjusted his coat a bit. He bent down and retrieved the shopping bags of hers which he'd set aside and handed them back to her and she took them to place back over her shoulder once again.

"Thank you, Molly," he said softly with a half-smile. "That was exactly what was needed, and I believe I proved my theory most conclusively."

"Um…ok," she smiled but still looked a little confused. "Are you planning to explain what that theory was exactly?"

"Soon, perhaps, but I won't take up any more of your time at the moment." He grinned. "I've already interfered with your shopping for long enough."

They both stepped out from behind the boxes, getting some more very amused looks from the cheese seller. Sherlock glanced at the selection as he passed by and picked up a pre-cut piece of raclette, quickly reaching in his pocket and handing some money- which included a generous tip- to the man.

"Thank you." He gave him a wink. "Lovely day at the market!"

And with that, Sherlock strolled off with a little bounce in his step.

* * *

Molly was left standing there, feeling a little wobbly in the knees if she were honest, watching the apparently very happy consulting detective go his merry way. She made the mistake of looking over at the woman still standing at the shop's stall, who gave her a little smile and waggle of her brows.

"My, what a man, eh?"

Molly agreed with an embarrassed chuckle, knowing full well her cheeks were as red as a tomato, as she tucked some now stray strands of hair behind her ear and tried to move along, continuing on with her shopping as planned. Not exactly an easy feat now though.

Good heavens, how was she supposed to choose the best produce with a clear head now?

She knew very well that had been a mistake. But she honestly didn't believe it to be physically in her power to push him away. Not when he had looked at her like that! He was desperate. And whatever the reason for the desperation, it was awfully hard to turn down. If no other options were available, she probably would have eventually broke down and agreed to snog him in front of the cheese stall!

If counting the first awkward attempt, this was now the third time she'd kissed Sherlock Holmes. And with each instance it was not only getting harder and harder to imagine being without the feel of his lips against hers, it was also getting clearer that she was setting herself up for a world of hurt. At this point, Molly could only hope and pray that Sherlock didn't attempt this sort of thing again, making her choose between protecting herself…and having him. Because she knew herself pretty well.

And she was afraid she'd choose him. Every time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bless Lexie and her knowledge of Borough Market in London. And for any who don't already know, it's a tiny little nod to series 4 (WHICH IS IN LIKE 4 WEEKS EVERYONE THIS IS NOT A DRILL) since they did some filming there. And don't we wish that THIS was what they were filming there LOL! Eh...that's what fanfic is for right? :)  
> I'd venture to say that there will be at least 2 more chapters of this self indulgent little fic of mine, so look for an update again maybe next week. Though I think I'll try to post the last chapter to "Murder Is A Lot Quicker" before jumping into ch 4 of this one. Anyway! Thanks again and please comment...it's writer fuel. ;D


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Glad to have this as my one WIP now. I quite enjoy having one fic to focus on at once. :) Things have been all fun till now but this chapter brings a teensy bit more feels. Hope you enjoy it! ;)

John smiled at the relieved sigh his wife emitted as she entered the kitchen.

"She's finally down for her nap!" Mary said, taking a seat heavily at the table as John set some mugs of tea down. She took a sip and then took out her mobile. "Oh hey, I meant to ask you- have you read Sherlock's latest blog entry?"

John chuckled. "You read _The Science of Deduction_?"

She shrugged. "It's entertaining, if nothing else. And speaking of, my reason for asking is that I thought you might be especially amused by the subject of Sherlock's latest research." She handed John her phone, watching him for the inevitable reaction.

Almost immediately John's eyes grew wide. "Kissing? What the…" He blinked furiously and his eyebrows furrowed as he continued reading before looking back at Mary. "Why would Sherlock be researching _kissing?_ "

Mary lifted her palms in confusion. "I wondered the same thing. I was hoping you'd be able to shed some light. Like, maybe it had to do with a case or something."

"Nothing like this, no. I mean, this is all about…benefits of kissing." He let out a short laugh. "Where would he even get this data?"

"I do have a theory about that," Mary said with a little smile. "Look at some of the wording in his blog entry. Like here it says 'I can now personally confirm.' I don't know…what if he's getting the evidence himself."

John went into full blown giggles at that point. "Sherlock? Sherlock Holmes kissing for science?" He paused and tipped his head in thought. "Well, yeah, if Sherlock is going to do any kissing, that's actually a pretty fitting explanation. When was this anyway?"

"Well it looks like the latest entry about kissing helping with unhealthy cravings was that day last week when you two went out looking for that dog." She giggled and nudged her husband. "Anything you wanna tell me?"

John snorted out a laugh. "Oh you're hilarious." But suddenly his eyes widened. "Wait a minute, wait a minute…I remember him being incredibly agitated that day. And he suddenly got an idea and told me that he had somewhere to go but I couldn't go with him. He left and met me again an hour later and he was like a different man!"

"Ok, so where did he go?"

John's lips slowly lifted in a smile as he answered his wife. "He said he was going to see Molly."

Mary's jaw dropped as she started laughing. "Oh my God!"

John's smile quickly faded into irritation. "That tosser! He's using Molly, _Molly_ of all people, for this mad scientist experiments!" He shook his head, his anger starting to build up. "Nope, that cannot be allowed to continue. I'll have to have a talk with him."

"Now hang on a minute, John," Mary said firmly. "You're assuming that Molly is being forced into something. She's no pushover who just does whatever she's told. And she's more than able to tell Sherlock just where to go if he's overstepped his bounds! She's a big girl and she's absolutely not going to let him take advantage of her."

"Yeah, I know Molly can certainly take care of herself. But you've got to admit that Sherlock would go too far to get what he wants out of someone and doesn't care if other people are in on his plan or not! I'm willing to bet he hasn't been completely honest about his intentions."

"You really think he'd kiss her and make her believe it was for real?"

John pursed his lips, thinking for a moment. "I truly don't know, Mary. I mean, I've seen him do some incredibly cruel things. So I'm not sure that there's a lot he's incapable of, even when it comes to his friends. He loves her and she's one of his dearest friends, but since it's Sherlock that doesn't mean he'd necessarily treat her with care. So I think I should at least ask him about the exact circumstances."

"Well I suppose it couldn't hurt to do a little investigating," she agreed with a smile, then leaned in to press a kiss to her husband's lips before speaking a little softer. "You don't have to rush off this minute though, do you?"

John gave his wife an affectionate smile. "Nah, I can think of a few things I'd like to do here at home before I deal with all of that. Maybe some of my own research, in fact," he said slyly while standing and pulling Mary to her feet as well.

"Ooh, sounds like you might need an assistant." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm probably available until a certain someone wakes up in another hour."

"Well then, Mrs. Watson…I'd say we've got a lot of work to do."

* * *

"So are we working late then?" John asked that afternoon as he paced 221B's sitting room while waiting for Sherlock.

"Most likely, yes. This gang is a bit tricky though, and if things become dangerous it'll probably be best if we split up and head home. We may not wrap this all up tonight." He shrugged his Belstaff over his shoulders.

"Ok sure, that sounds fine."

Sherlock's gaze shot over to his friend suddenly. "What?"

"What?"

"What is it?" Sherlock asked, enunciating his words with a hint of irritation. "There's something you want to discuss and you can't decide when to do it. I always wish you'd just come out with things and save us both the time!"

John let out a sigh. "Ok fine. I wanted to ask you about your latest research project. The one on _The Science of Deduction_."

Sherlock frowned at him. "You're reading my blog?"

"Well, Mary pointed it out to me."

"Mary reads it…hm, I suppose that makes a bit more sense."

"Anyway," John stated firmly. "Back on topic. So this kissing research…what made you want to do that?"

He shrugged noncommittally. "The claims that some scientific research has published wasn't something I'd personally proven and I was curious. My curiosity has since been sated."

"With the help of Molly Hooper," John responded instantly, making Sherlock look very briefly like a deer in the headlights.

"My compliments, John," he said, quickly righting his features again as he looped his scarf in the traditional fashion. "A rare moment of accurate deduction on your part."

"Again, back to the point," John said with a short chuckle. "So you and Molly?"

"Me and Molly what?"

"You kissed?" John asked as they descended the stairs.

"Yes that's right," he confirmed casually. "Why?"

"Well, it does seem a little odd to me, but I suppose as long as she agreed-"

"Yes of course she agreed," Sherlock said a bit angrily. "What do you imagine I did? Chain her up and forcibly kiss her?!"

"No, of course not. But I couldn't help but be concerned that you hadn't been completely honest with her about why you two were kissing. I mean, was she definitely absolutely aware of the reason?"

Sherlock chuckled while hailing a cab. "Yes, John, I believe she was pretty clear about the context of the kiss as she drew my blood samples and took my blood pressure and heart rate readings before and after. Unless that's how Molly typically kisses men, in which case she has an even more peculiar love life than I previously thought…"

"Ok ok, I get it. And what about the day you wanted to smoke." John did detect a slight shift in Sherlock's expression at that question.

"I did make it clear that I was testing a question related to our earlier experimenting. And again, yes she willingly agreed and participated."

John narrowed his eye for a moment, trying to be decide what to think. But Mary was right, there was only so much he could say. "Ok…well, fine. You're both adults I suppose."

"Yes, thank you for confirming." Sherlock opened the door to the cab which came to a stop and climbed in. "Now, are finished speaking about this?"

John raised his palms in surrender. "I'm done if you are. Just wanted to remind you not to be an idiot." He smiled.

"Noted. Now let's get to work!"

* * *

Molly swayed to the music as she swirled the spoon around the large mug on the kitchen counter. She may not be able to sleep, but at least it was a nice excuse for late night cocoa. The music quieted briefly when a text alert came across her phone.

NO NEED TO GET UP IF YOU'RE ALREADY IN BED. I'LL USE MY KEY…GOT TO STAY AT YOUR FLAT TONIGHT. THE COUCH WILL BE FINE. –SH

Molly swallowed thickly and felt her pulse instantly do double time. This was going to be ten times more awkward than his crashing at her flat ever was in the past. How had she been so blind as to not realize that this is how it would end up?

"I'm going to need your comfort more than ever now," she said softly to her hot cocoa as she shut the music off on her mobile and tied her dressing gown closed across her middle.

Not surprisingly, it was only about two minutes later that she heard the key in the lock and the knob turning.

"Ah, you're up," a very soggy consulting detective commented as he let himself in and glanced toward the kitchen.

"Yeah I wasn't feeling all that tired yet," she admitted.

In that moment, she knew she should just excuse herself and announce that she was retiring to her bedroom, and then not come out till morning. He'd take care of himself, no doubt. And might even be gone by the time she got up, and then there'd be nothing to…deal with. But as usual, she couldn't manage to turn a completely blind eye to any need of his.

"Do you um, want a shower? You look like you should get out of those clothes- I mean, the rain- and it's um, cold and…" She was met with an amused half smile. "Anyway…you can have a shower if you'd like."

"Still have my change of clothes?" he asked while hanging his poor damp coat and scarf.

"In the cabinet under the sink there's a bag with all your things. It's been a while but everything's there I think."

"Excellent, thank you," he said, strolling toward the washroom.

Molly sat there at her little kitchen table nervously twirling the sash of her dressing gown around her finger over and over, only stopping occasionally to sip her cocoa. She almost groaned aloud at herself in irritation when he emerged from the washroom. This was the other reason she should have gone to her room…he always looked far too good all freshly showered and dressed in his pajamas.

"Well that does make quite a difference," Sherlock said with a little sigh of satisfaction. He gestured to a box of biscuits on the table.

"Sure," she said, sliding the box over and giving him the go ahead.

Sherlock opened the box and took a couple out before lifting the towel from his neck to ruffle some more of the water from hair. He made his way into the sitting room and reclined on the couch, making himself comfortable with his feet up on the arm.

Molly told herself that he was all set. He'd had a shower and even got a snack. He didn't seem to need anything else and there was nothing left for her to do. Definitely best to take her leave now.

"Sherlock," she said, coming to stand in the doorway between the kitchen and sitting room. "I think I'll probably head to bed now."

"Oh," he chirped, looking almost disappointed and standing up from his place on the couch.

_Oh God, don't come over here…_

"I mean, unless you need anything else," she hurried to say. "There's a blanket on the couch but if you need another I can just-"

"No no, the one will be just fine, thank you," he said, but still advanced toward her. "I appreciate the offer."

He was close now. Closer than he usually got to her. His stays at her flat usually consisted of very little actual interaction between them. This felt so very different from the way Molly was used to things being between them. He certainly didn't seem uncomfortable, but their new… _experiences_ together had clearly altered his perception of what their normal behaviors were. He barely ever uttered the words "goodnight," let alone got up to thank her.

"It's fine, you know you can always come here if you need to. Oh, um, by the way…what happened? Nothing went wrong tonight did it?"

Sherlock quirked an eyebrow. "Not terribly wrong. But John and I became the pursued as opposed to the pursuers, so it seemed time to wait it out till morning. Thankfully Mrs. Hudson is at her sisters, in case they decided to seek me out at Baker St."

Molly nodded. "Well I'm glad you both got away safely."

He smiled, observing her face intently, and took another step closer.

"I suppose I'll say goodnight then," he said in a low murmur.

"Mm, right," she responded, her voice cracking.

He continued to stare at her…and then his eyes went directly to her lips.

"Stop!"

Sherlock's brow furrowed. "What?"

"I just- I didn't want you to, you know, try…anything. Like before."

He got a bit shifty eyed, not readily admitting to what Molly could clearly see he was planning to attempt.

"You were thinking about kissing me again," Molly bravely stated. She wasn't about to let him act as if she was imagining things. "You may be the detective, but a woman can tell when a man is thinking about kissing her."

His eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Can they? Interesting…"

"Sherlock." Molly's voice held a warning tone.

He didn't appear to be attempting any denial now. He stuck his hands in the dressing gown pockets, taking a step back and then rocking on his heels a bit. "Fine…so I take it that's a problem."

Molly crossed her arms over her middle. "It's just- I think it's not a good idea." She was nervously avoiding eye contact, but she couldn't help it.

After a moment of silence, Sherlock emitted a little 'ah' of realization. Or at least, so he thought. "I see what this is. You don't want to tell me, but you don't actually enjoy kissing me. Every sign would point to the fact that you did, but perhaps there's something I'm missing. A bit of margin for error is normal in this case. Firstly, I rarely engage in the activity, and second, I am new at it with you, so it's understandable that I could become a bit-"

"No, no that's not it," Molly corrected, physically unable to allow him to believe something so far from the truth.

A bit of light flashed in his eyes again. "So you did enjoy it?"

Molly sighed. "Yes, of course I did," she admitted a little begrudgingly. "I _really_ did."

He narrowed his eyes. "Then what is it?"

She was silent for a moment. Rolling the words over her tongue before letting them out. And hating the sound of them when she finally did.

"Is it a cigarette this time?" Her voice sounded small to her own ears. "Or maybe something even worse?"

Sherlock let out a short laugh. "How many people actually read my blog that I'm unaware of?!" His mild irritation melted away quickly though, and his expression softened again. "So you're bothered that the effect of your kisses warded off unhealthy cravings?"

She hesitated a bit again. "What bothers me is that that's… _all_ it was."

"I don't understand."

He really didn't, did he? The poor man. So emotionally stunted, and it was his own foolish doing. Years of hard work it took for him to be so carefully trained into disinterest in all notions of the heart, and now it was left to his friends to pick up the pieces and try their very hardest to put him back together again. It was as daunting a task as it was thankless.

"I know you don't," Molly said as kindly as she could.

"I did specify at the time that it was to do with our previous experiment," he stated, seeming to attempt some self-defense.

"Yes, you did. And I did agree, I know. But thinking about it later, and especially reading your especially clinical description of that day at Bart's and at the Market…well, I realized that this was something that definitely couldn't be repeated."

"Was my description…insulting?" He looked like he was really attempting to grasp the complexities involved.

"In some ways, I guess not. I gathered you enjoyed it in your own way."

"In my own way?"

"Well it was just a kiss, wasn't it?" She shrugged her shoulders. "It was lips and tongues and teeth and hormones and chemicals…just a kiss."

"And what exactly should it have been?" Sherlock seemed almost afraid, as if he knew he was asking a question he wouldn't like the answer to.

"I'm not saying it _should have_ been anything to you. Because that's not fair to you. But I can't help but be a little bothered because of the comparison of what it is to me." She paused and he continued silently watching her, which gave her the go ahead to keep talking.

"A kiss is part of something bigger," she said, looking thoughtfully off into the distance. "It's a little piece of a puzzle that makes up the relationship between two people. There's so much more than just kissing, and I don't just mean physically, though there is that too. There's the talking and listening and laughing and helping each other and just…just being there! And sometimes that does all comes out in a passionate kiss that makes you melt and forget every bad thing that happened that day and want nothing more than to stay connected to that person."

He looked almost awestruck as he listened, as if he were a child hearing a fairytale that had him suddenly questioning what was real and what wasn't.

"A kiss isn't just a kiss to me, Sherlock," Molly repeated. "It's not just a kiss when you…" She paused, taking a breath of courage. "When you _feel_ a certain way about someone."

He swallowed visibly, looking a little deflated.

"I-I'm sorry-" he began, but Molly stopped him.

"Look, I'm not fishing for an apology. I did agree- both times. And I knew what it was and what it wasn't. So I'm not blaming you. I just thought I should make it clear that it shouldn't happen again…and why."

He nodded, offering a tight smile. "Thank you for the…clarification. And now I suppose I'll say goodnight." Sherlock stepped away instantly and went back to where he had been on the couch.

Molly smiled and replied with a quiet "no problem" and "goodnight."

She felt good about having been honest, but she'd be lying if she claimed not to be a bit disappointed while climbing into bed that night. They'd come so far over the years, she and Sherlock. But in that moment, Molly couldn't help thinking that there were some ways in which things would just never improve. It seemed clear that Sherlock Holmes would never quite know how to handle some things…like her heart.

A bit inconvenient, she thought with a sigh, seeing as it belonged to him anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully another coming next week! :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The gorgeous Greg Lestrade gets some "screen" time in this chapter. Thought it would be a fun alternative to Sherlock's typical people he goes to for advice. See you at the end notes! ;)

"So it wasn't the head wound?" Lestrade asked as he did his best to listen as Molly explained the results of the post mortem.

"Well no, it was. But it wasn't immediate. The blow to the head caused undiscovered bleeding in the brain, and that's ultimately what killed him. So if the family wanted to press charges, it seems like they'd have a bit of evidence on their side."

"Serves him right for getting into a scuffle with his own daughter's boyfriend," Sherlock commented, rounding the table.

Molly walked over at the same time and they both awkwardly hesitated, unable to move past at the same time.

"Oh sorry, I was just-"

"No, it's fine."

"You can just-"

"You go ahead." Sherlock finally stepped aside and waved her way clear.

Molly skirted by, avoiding eye contact, disposing of her gloves and retrieving the report for Greg. She tucked some hair behind her ears as she handed the envelope to him and the Inspector couldn't help but notice the now rosy color on her cheeks.

"Well thanks for this," he said, sticking the envelope in his jacket pocket. "I'll let you know if we need anything else."

"Ok, no problem."

"Afternoon, Molly," Greg said with a wave.

"Yeah, good afternoon. See you later, Greg."

Sherlock offered the pathologist a small smile on their way out but she had turned away rather quickly. As they made their way out of the morgue, it was all Greg Lestrade could do to resist from opening his mouth instantly. But he waited till they got into the elevator.

"It's a pretty simple case then," Greg commented, attempting to break the silence first. "Probably won't be needing much help from you."

"I should certainly hope not," Sherlock retorted flatly.

After a pregnant pause, the Inspector spoke again. "So is everything ok? With you and Molly, I mean."

Sherlock's eyes flashed as he looked at Greg for a second and then quickly away again. "Why would you ask that?"

"You seemed a little…I don't know, uncomfortable with her today. You're not usually like that."

Not surprisingly, Sherlock let out an indignant little huff. "Really, Lestrade, you need to leave the deductions to me, I'm sure we've talked about this."

"Well besides being a git, you were more than a little uncomfortable," Greg pressed. "What's happened? She give you a bit of a punishment? Refusing to sneak you body parts?"

Sherlock gave him a strangely nervous sideways glance, but only cleared his throat and said nothing.

Greg's brow crinkled. He wondered if he'd hit the nail on the head.

"Well it can't be that bad," he attempted with a smile, hoping to break the ice and get the man saying something. "I'm sure she'll get over it, whatever it is."

"That's the problem. She isn't over anything," Sherlock mumbled.

"Wait, what?"

The consulting detective sighed heavily. "Look, I may need some sort of assistance. And seeing as you're a man and…standing here," he begrudgingly admitted with a little wave of his hand, "Perhaps you're the man for the job. Because this isn't my…my area."

"What's not?"

Sherlock hesitated a moment longer. "Molly."

"Well," he chuckled a little. "She's not exactly my area either. We're friends, but I'm not sure I know her much better than you do."

"That's not exactly what I mean. I meant more…women in general." He glanced nervously at Greg.

Greg frowned at him for a moment, then the possible explanation occurred to him and his lips curled up into a teasing grin.

"Wait a minute, do you mean…you and- and Molly are-"

"I think it may just save time if I let you read something first. And before you ask, yes I was the test subject and yes it was Molly who assisted me," Sherlock said as his fingers flew on his mobile. "Don't worry, it'll all make a lot more sense once you've read this page."

Greg was still a bit confused as he got handed the phone, but as they walked out of the elevator, out of the hospital, and down the street to Greg's car, he did indeed get a lot of much needed, and shocking, clarification.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Greg finally exclaimed, all hints of mirth having disappeared and handed the phone roughly back to Sherlock. "Are you mad?!"

"Perhaps I should have talked to John after all," Sherlock stated wearily.

"So for which of the myriad possible reasons is Molly actually upset with you?"

"She claims she's not exactly upset about any of it, seeing as she willingly agreed with full knowledge. She simply stated that it can't happen again."

"Well, yeah."

Sherlock turned and frowned. "So you agree?"

"Seems logical to me," he had to admit. "That's obviously gotta be hard for her given, you know, the way she _feels."_

The tall man suddenly looked a little childlike in his shock. "Y-you know? You're aware she has feelings for me?"

Greg's knee jerk reaction was to laugh a little at the question, but he quickly righted his expression, seeing as Sherlock was clearly more than in earnest.

"Sherlock, I think we all know how Molly feels about you," he said gently. "She's always loved you."

Sherlock shifted his feet a little awkwardly. "Till recently I had assumed that was all well in the past."

"Well I'm sure it's different now than a few years ago, but yeah, I don't think she ever really stopped feeling so strongly. Might try being grateful for a woman like that," he added under his breath.

"I am grateful," Sherlock shot back.

That surprised Greg a little and he finally nodded. "Ok, well good. Then listen to her, Sherlock! If she doesn't want any more of these little _experiment_ sessions, then you should back off. You have to care about what _she_ wants!"

"A relationship," Sherlock stated.

"Yes- wait, no! Well, yeah maybe. But she knows you don't want that, so she needs you to keep some distance."

Sherlock became silent, pressing his joined fingertips to his lips as he paced the pavement outside Bart's hospital. His eyes shifted and features twitched slightly in thought.

"What?" Greg questioned, seeing the shift.

Sherlock stopped and looked at him again. "But what if I could be wrong about relationships?"

"I don't-"

"I was wrong about kissing, so it is possible I could be wrong about something far larger. It certainly seems like something worth testing…"

"Sherlock, no!" Greg shot back as soon as he picked up on Sherlock's line of reasoning. "This isn't some sort of test you can do! Relationships aren't-"

"Aren't what?" Sherlock interrupted with a laugh. "Relationships aren't some sort of test? Is that what you were about to say? I'm sorry but I beg to differ, and I imagine that most of the world's population would agree with me. That is _precisely_ what each relationship is, which I'd think you would understand, so I hardly see the need to sugar coat anything."

"Well obviously there's _some_ ways in which a relationship is a test, but it's not all clinical. The basis and motive is emotional, because it's about two people who want to be together and care deeply about each other. It's not just for the purpose of making a chart or report or something!"

Sherlock seemed deeply thoughtful now, almost as if he weren't paying attention anymore. Greg didn't like the look of this. It seemed like he'd made up his own mind and had retreated from the idea of accepting any outside advice.

"What do you really want, Sherlock?" Greg asked more forcefully, which succeeded in catching his attention again.

The detective's expressive eyes shifted away for a moment as he considered this question, then he looked back at the Inspector and answered with a surprising tone of sincerity.

"To see if she's been right all along."

Sherlock walked off then, leaving Greg on his own. He released a heavy breath and ran fingers through his hair, feeling concern mounting. This could either go very very badly, or could be one of the best things to happen. And perhaps there was hope that it would be the latter, as he considered it further. After all, Sherlock Holmes wasn't just a great man anymore.

He was a good man too.

* * *

Sherlock sat on the steps outside Molly's building, his leg bouncing a bit. He touched the paper bag full of Chinese take away, confirming again that it was still warm. He hoped Molly wouldn't be unusually late from work, seeing as the offer of dinner would be a bit less appealing when cold.

Thankfully, she turned around the corner, her brown swinging along behind her as she walked. Sherlock stood as she caught sight of him, her pace only pausing fractionally. She looked a little shocked, and almost disappointed.

"I've brought dinner," he stated, holding up the bag.

"Why?"

_Oh._ He hadn't really anticipated her wanting an explanation instantly. He really wanted to put off the deeper talking till later.

"I don't have a case, so I'd like a full meal," he explained, which was true. "And I know you don't usually cook on Wednesday, seeing as it's a longer shift."

She looked pretty suspicious, but was also eyeing the bag of food, so he could tell she was about to accept his offer.

"Yeah, ok," she agreed softly, walking up the steps with her keys.

Immediately upon entering, Molly quickly went about collecting pieces of laundry, and Sherlock couldn't help but smirk at the blush that dusted her cheeks. She obviously hadn't expected company on laundry day. He didn't comment as he breezed into the kitchen and went about setting the table for their meal. Twenty minutes later, Sherlock and Molly had been settled in at her little kitchen table and munching away happily. There was little conversation, seeing as they both really were hungry. For his part, as he ate, Sherlock was carefully observing and waiting for Molly to seem done eating. Then he could finally bring up what he came here to discuss. The second Molly got up and set her plate in the sink, Sherlock cleared his throat.

"Molly, I'd like to say something that-"

"Sherlock, I really wish you wouldn't," she objected instantly while taking a seat across from him again.

He frowned in confusion. "You don't even know what I'm about to say."

She looked tired. Tired from the day, probably. But also a bit weary in general.

"I know that look though. And I know that tone of your voice. You're about to ask me for something. You want something, and that's why you came here with dinner tonight."

Well, he had to admit she wasn't technically wrong.

"Yes, but wouldn't it be fair to hear exactly what it is I want?"

She nodded. "Yes, but I'm going to say something first."

Sherlock leaned his elbows on the table and his chin against his fingertips, looking on in silent readiness for her to say her part first.

"I'm in love with you."

His eyes widened. That particular statement in this moment wasn't exactly what he anticipated.

"Yes," he responded slowly, both acknowledging and also prompting her to continue.

"I do, I love you," she stated again, looking awfully relaxed about the whole thing. "I feel like it's silly to dance around it now, after all these years. It only complicates and confuses things, really. And that's my own fault. I fell back into some bad habits with you; acting the way I thought you'd want me to and agreeing to things despite reservations. I can't do that anymore. And it's not because I'm angry, it's because of how much I love you. I know how easily I can let myself get hurt because of that love. I'm not going to leave that to chance. I want to be the one in charge of my own feelings. How I feel about you means that if I'm not very _very_ careful, I can get hurt _very_ badly. I just want you to understand that before you go asking me for whatever it is that you came here for tonight."

Sherlock nodded solemnly. "I understand."

"Ok good." She looked satisfied. "So what is it you wanted?"

He drew a slow breath before coming out with it. "I'd like for us to continue our previous experiment."

Molly let out an incredulous laugh. She looked at him as if he'd gone completely mad. "I'm sorry, what? How can you even ask me that? I thought you just sat here and listened and then said you understood!"

"I did, and I do," he confirmed. "Completely. You love me and you're afraid of doing anything that could get you hurt."

"So you must understand that of course I'm going to say no." She took a little breath. "Sherlock, did you ever stop to think about what my results were?"

"Your results?"

"Yes. I know we weren't testing me, but what if we had also taken my vitals and done labs on my blood? You do realize that we would have seen the very same results, if not more so. You're hardly the only one that's moved by our kissing. How do you think I felt?"

Sherlock was unable to resist smirking a little. "Rather good?"

Molly gave him a small warning look, making him close his lips tightly again.

"I don't see how it's difficult for you to understand why I can't just go kissing you whenever you're feeling curious in one way or another! We've been over all of this."

"Yes, I know. Which is why I'm not asking about kissing."

Molly froze for a moment, then licked her lips. "W-what are you asking then?"

"Well, it certainly wouldn't preclude kissing," he amended. "But that's not the whole of it. I remember you said that a kiss wasn't just a kiss. It was a small part of something much larger. Just a piece that made up the whole of a relationship between two people. Well…what about the other pieces."

She blinked. "The other pieces? Of a relationship?"

"Yes." Sherlock calmly clasped his hands together atop the table, looking over at her intently. "I'd like to test it all out, as a whole."

Molly's brow furrowed slightly and she swallowed thickly. "I'm sorry, but how is this any better than asking me to snog you for science?"

He appeared suddenly boyish then, looking down nervously for a moment before meeting her eyes again. "Because it's not just for science."

Her eyes narrowed, looking cautiously curious now.

"And on that subject, I thought perhaps I'd also mention," Sherlock went on. "Last week when you noticed that I wanted to kiss you again, that had nothing to do with any other craving. I didn't want to smoke or do anything else destructive. I just wanted to kiss you because I was there and you were there and…well, I just wanted to."

Molly rubbed her eyes for a moment, then leaned her chin on her hand to stare quizzically at the man across from her. "You're talking about a _real_ relationship then?"

"That's right."

"The whole thing?"

"Everything typically involved, yes."

"With no designated end point?"

"Hopefully not."

This made Molly stop in her tracks, her little lips parting in awe. After a moment, she let out a somewhat shaky laugh.

"Am I really _that_ good a kisser?"

Sherlock chuckled as well, then pursed his lips. "You are above average, I'd say. Though, it's more than that. It's…everything. Everything that you've seen that I might just have missed. I think I'd like to see it- experience it."

She drew a deep breath and let it out slowly, looking away in thought. "I dunno, Sherlock, I just- I wonder if it's a good idea. I mean, why did you start this in the first place? Why did you even agree to the original experiment? Curiosity, right? And what happens when you've satisfied that curiosity? Where does that leave me?" She lifted her little shoulders in question.

"Interestingly, I thought about the very same thing recently; why I studied the effects of kissing in the first place. And the answer was part of my epiphany. You see, I may have had a measure of curiosity on the subject, but I don't believe that's why I agreed to do it." His eyes softened. "I did it because _you_ asked me to."

Molly's gaze softened too and she pressed her lips together, clearly controlling a little smile from spreading.

"Well?" Sherlock prompted.

She still appeared a little hesitant, but he could also tell she had warmed up to the idea a bit since he'd clarified some things.

"Well…if it's real, then it should go like a regular relationship would in the beginning."

"Naturally," he agreed, though he'd never admit that he wasn't sure what she specifically meant by that statement.

"Meaning…"

_Oh thank God._

"We can't just pick up snogging where we left off."

Sherlock frowned in momentary confusion. "Can't we? I thought couples did that."

"Oh they do!" Molly confirmed with some enthusiasm but then righted her voice again. "But probably not _right_ away. Besides just spending time together, which I know we already do, there are some other types of affection that help to sort of build a foundation for a romantic relationship. Things like, just holding hands."

The idea was a tiny bit off putting to Sherlock for a moment. Hand holding seemed a bit…childish? If he were honest, he'd simply never considered it. Though, he supposed this venture would require keeping an open mind.

"Or hugging," Molly added. "Goodness, there's nothing like a nice long hug!" She closed her eyes and smiled, apparently even enjoying the idea in her mind.

Yes, Sherlock supposed he could try some of those other things. He'd be interested to see how those things felt, seeing as he'd been pleasantly surprised by the kissing. He was continuing to mull this over when her voice cut into his thoughts.

"Ok."

Sherlock's gaze focused on her fully again. "You agree?"

She nodded. "Yes, I agree. If you really mean what you said, then I'd like to do this."

Sherlock smiled and reached his hand across the table. "I mean it."

Molly smiled and her cheeks turned pink as she placed her hand in his. "Ok then."

Sherlock frowned as he closed his fingers around her hand. "This feels a bit awkward."

She laughed. "Well this is a lovely start!"

He shifted his fingers, threading them between Molly's instead of around her hand. Yes, that was a good idea. Interlocking their fingers seemed to be the solution to what ailed their hand holding.

"Ah, this is better."

"Yeah, I like that too." She smiled.

They looked at each other across the divide of the small table and suddenly the air shifted around them. Sherlock felt her fingers tighten a little between his, and he responded in kind. Her eyes got brighter somehow and he suddenly felt like it was difficult to draw sufficient air into his lungs.

Sherlock unexpectedly released her hand, making Molly look mildly concerned.

"What's wrong? Was that weird?"

"Is something as small as hand holding meant to lead to other things?"

Molly blushed again, tucking some hair behind her ears. "Yeah, sometimes it does I suppose."

After a brief but awkward silence, Sherlock finally stood from the table and Molly followed his lead.

"I should probably go. Thank you for accepting the dinner and…other request as well."

Molly smiled. "You're welcome. And thanks for the dinner. I'm guessing we'll do it again some time?"

"Oh right, yes that would make sense," he said, realizing he'd need to begin planning on these sorts of things more often. The prospect sounded both challenging…and really great fun.

"Oh and Sherlock?"

"Hm?"

"If you are planning to, you know, record findings about any of this stuff, I just ask that you clear it with me first."

"Ah." He nodded in understanding as they walked over to her door.

Yes, perhaps she had an excellent point. There would be aspects of this journey of discovery that shouldn't be posted on _The Science of Deduction_. He did have a surge of affection for her in that moment though, given the fact that she knew very well he'd enjoy tracking the new things he was learning.

After he pulled his coat on, he reached over to gently cradle the side of her face. And then he leaned in, pressing his lips to her opposite cheek and enjoying the way he felt could feel her sudden release of breath against his face. When he pulled away, she appeared a little pleasantly flustered.

"I thought we just talked about not kissing," she chided teasingly while unconsciously touching the skin on her face where his lips had been.

"Yes, we did," he agreed with a sly smile. "But we also discussed building a foundation. And _that_ particular kiss is one we've been working on for years."

He winked, enjoying the way she bit her lip and smiled in response, and then took his leave.

Yes, it was best not to stay too long that night. Even he knew enough to understand that. It was best to take things at a slower pace and allow each new experience to really seep in before plunging into the next. That called to mind what Molly had said on that very first day they kissed, that it was all too easy to lose one's self in experiences like this.

He very much looked forward to doing just that.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Molly got an email as she was sitting up reading in bed. Seeing it was from Sherlock, she instantly got a little thrill. She first noted that he'd sent her a file, then her eyes dropped down to the body of the message.

_To be posted on The Science of Deduction…pending your approval._

_-Sherlock_

She smiled to herself and then clicked on the file. When she did, she nearly rolled off the bed with laughter. Oh that dear sweet man…she honestly wasn't sure what in the world she'd do with him. But she was awfully glad to have him now. With a grin, she began reading Sherlock's notes, titled…

" _Hand Holding and Lingering Eye Contact- The Surprising Results."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Must admit I had myself giggling at that last part lol. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter as well! As you can see, I'm not dragging this out super far. There will probably be a couple more chapters after this and then that'll be it. As I mentioned on tumblr (yes I'm back on there for a bit) I'd really like to complete this fic by the time series 4 airs. I'd like a clean slate with no WIP hanging over my head. Because I'll either just want to cry afterward, or maybe I'll want to write a 30 ch saga because I'm so inspired lol. Or maybe something in between, like take prompts! Anyway, point is that this'll be a short fic. Oh, and apologies that there's not a bunch of kissy stuff in this one! And c'mon, I know that's basically what you people are here for lol! I promise that in the next chapter, my priority will be on fun and kissing! So do stay tunes!! ;D  
> Thank you, Lexie, as you continue to help polish this fic so that it shines all nice and pretty. ;)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm feeling awfully speedy hehe! At this point I'm ahead of schedule with when I'd like to finish this fic. Hopefully this chapter makes up for the lack of sherlolly affection fluff in the last one. Enjoy! :D

"This…truly is amazing," Sherlock murmured.

"Mm, it's great, isn't it?" Molly agreed, nuzzling her nose against his neck a little.

"I do realize that in reality it's incredibly simple. But somehow all the details of the act make it fascinatingly complex!"

Molly smiled. "And well, it just feels lovely."

"After a few of these experiences I can certainly see the appeal now." He released a slow and relaxed breath. "I could quite happily stay like this all day!"

"Given the circumstances though, I don't think that would be completely appropriate. I mean…I do need to get back to work at some point."

"Mm, I suppose so," Sherlock admitted with a resigned sigh.

"But we can do this again! Anytime you want, really!"

Sherlock pulled his face back enough to look at her. "Promise?"

Her expression melted at his puppy dog eyes. "Of course," she whispered. "I'd never say no to this...I love hugging you."

Sherlock smiled, finally willing to put an end to their embrace which had lasted a good few minutes now. He realized it was probably best to allow her to carry on with her shift…which would definitely involve actually putting her down.

He gently lowered Molly so her feet could touch the ground again, though he wasn't immediately willing to remove his arms from around her. As he set her down and they looked at each other, that now familiar but invisible force began to urge them both forward again.

Sherlock's hands came up to grasp her face and Molly's fingers fisted the lapels of his coat as their lips came together…but only to gently flutter over each other in a maddeningly enticing way, seeing as Molly held back.

"We should, um, save that for later," she whispered against his still advancing lips.

"And when you say later…" he whispered back, an endearing hint of impatience peeking through.

Molly bit her lip, thinking for a moment. "Well, I am free after work."

Now Sherlock was the one looking thoughtful. "I'll text you later then," he finally said and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before heading for the door.

"Oh ok…what are we doing though?"

"I'll make some sort of dinner plans."

"Wait, you mean no take away?"

Sherlock threw her a little grin on his way out. "Perhaps we'll try something else out this time."

Her excited little smile confirmed that this was indeed a good idea.

* * *

"Sherlock, I've got to say that your blog has been providing superb entertainment lately!" Mary announced while handing Rosie over to him. She had come over to Baker Street to pick up John so the entire Watson family could go to the baby's six month checkup.

Sherlock rolled his eyes at the comment while Rosie patted his face happily. "Well certainly that's my aim, to entertain my friends!"

"Oh come on, you know we're all pleased," John said. "As long as you two are happy, we're thrilled."

"I do have one comment though," Mary added.

"I never would have guessed!" Sherlock stated in mock surprise, making a silly face that Rosie enjoyed immensely.

"This seems to be all about _you."_

Sherlock looked instantly affronted. "Molly wants to be with me as well, you do remember, don't you?"

"Yes, I realize that. What I mean is that your observations about the different aspects of relationships, they're all focused on your results and how things make you feel. Maybe you should turn it around a bit and focus on Molly."

"I do think she's enjoying herself this past couple of weeks," he countered quietly.

"I'm sure she is," Mary agreed. "But don't you think it might add a bit more depth to the experience if you focus on how your actions and words can affect her?"

Sherlock considered this. Yes, it was possible that could be enlightening, as well as useful. Though…

"What do you mean, _words_?"

"You know, _how_ you speak to her as well as what you say," Mary expounded. "You've got a smashing voice, Sherlock. You could probably melt Molly into a puddle if you say the right things."

"That's not awkward at all," John muttered with a little shake of his head.

"If you're talking about spouting some idiotic poetry-" Sherlock began, but wasn't allowed to get far.

"There's a difference between meaningless poetry and what you actually feel! I'm talking about speaking sincerely about the things about Molly that turn you to mush or drive you absolutely mad…in the best sort of way of course. Trust me, it's worth the effort."

"Yeah, Mary is actually right," John agreed, taking Rosie once he'd got his shoes on. "Molly would appreciate a bit of heartfelt verbal praise and affection."

"Ah!" Sherlock's eyes suddenly lit up. "The letters!"

"What letters?"

"My grandparents letters from when they were courting!" Sherlock explained excitedly as he began rummaging through some boxes at the bottom of his book shelf. "My father always talked about how incredibly romantic they were!"

"There you go," John agreed, smiling at Mary for nudging him in the right direction. "Should give you some good inspiration."

"Ah ha!" He pulled out the folder he was looking for which contained the old letters. "This should provide interesting reading before our dinner and dancing this evening."

"Ooh! Dinner and dancing, hm?" Mary gave John a teasing little poke in the arm. "When's my turn?"

"When Sherlock is willing to babysit," John commented, but the man child was already absorbed in his reading and not really paying attention.

The Watson family took their leave, allowing Sherlock some hours to himself as he sifted through the mass of romantic letters that his grandfather and grandmother had written back and forth. He remembered that he'd dug them out of his parents' house years ago while working a cold case in which his grandfather had been a witness to and he'd gone through them all looking for any reference to the events in question and hadn't looked at them since. He was looking at them now with a very different goal in mind. An eyebrow twitched at a particularly sentimental passage. Idly, Sherlock wondered if Mycroft had ever seen these, and if not it just might be worth showing him. These letters, dripping with sentiment and romanticism, made it very clear that a couple of generations back…the Holmes family certainly did not see caring as any sort of disadvantage.

* * *

Sherlock and Molly walked over to the specially chosen corner booth and were seated comfortably and handed their menus. It was a particular wish of the owner that Sherlock and his guest should have this quiet and intimate seating area, seeing as he'd solved such a troubling case involving dishonest food vendors a couple of years back. A few minutes later, when they ordered their meals, Sherlock took the liberty of ordering Molly's favorite red wine. Once the waiter had walked away, Sherlock leaned back in his chair and smiled at her.

Molly felt a little self-conscious that night. They had been a couple now for about two weeks, but this was something like a first official date. She had worn her favorite blue dress and heels, and even curled her hair a little. She didn't want to go overboard, but it did feel like a bit of a special occasion.

"I found a pair of stolen shoes today," Sherlock suddenly commented.

"Oh? Shoes? Doesn't sound like your favorite kind of case." Molly wasn't sorry for a casual topic, as opposed to something related to _them._ She needed to relax a bit first.

Sherlock shrugged. "Well…they were worth over two thousand pounds."

"Oh! Well that does make it a bit more interesting." She paused and then contributed her own conversation piece. "I found some small bits of jewelry in a dead man's stomach."

Sherlock's brow shot up.

"He'd gone a bit mad before his death apparently. Didn't want anyone touching his late wife's things. It was endearing in a way…a very very strange way."

He didn't respond for a moment, staring at her silently before finally opening his mouth and speaking softly.

"You're like the deep end."

Molly blinked in surprise before frowning. "Sorry, what?"

Sherlock's own face grimaced a bit. "Right. Explanations. John did always warn me about that." Sherlock drew breath and sat forward. "Do you remember being in a swimming pool as a child? Perhaps knowing how to swim, but not exactly being terribly skilled. And you'd tend to walk about in the shallow end and have a bit of fun, maybe swim a bit and enjoy the feel of your feet off the bottom for a moment or two…but then there was always that deep end."

Molly said nothing, listening patiently as his thoughts unraveled into words.

"You'd look over and see other people swimming and jumping and diving down below. And it seemed so incredibly difficult, perhaps even foolish. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves of course, but it also seemed such a risk. And it was far too daunting to imagine your feet _never_ touching the bottom. And so, despite everyone else's apparent enjoyment, you'd convince yourself that it wasn't any fun and you'd much rather stay in the shallow end. Because it was just better that way…it was just safer." He paused, almost as if the next words were difficult. "I used to look at you that way."

"Sherlock," Molly whispered, not knowing quite what else to say in the moment.

"It seemed far too risky and difficult and perhaps even irritating to complicate my life with the sentiment of a romantic relationship. I didn't even want to try. And there you were, always there for me, always the best sort of friend a person could ask for, and far more than a man like me deserves. But I'd never have considered…not till I simply dove in. And just like that first time in the deep end, realizing how free and invigorating it is as opposed to being frightening and difficult, finally having a taste of you has shown me just how much I've been missing. And made me realize that I'd never be satisfied by a life without you ever again."

Molly instinctively clutched her hand over her pounding heart as she took a deep breath. "Did you really have to say all of that right here in the restaurant?" she asked with a little laugh.

He didn't follow, looking a bit confused and alarmed at that question.

Molly slid over in the booth a bit, closing some of the distance between them and taking his hand. "Thank you," she said quietly, leaning in and pressing a subdued but tender kiss to his lips. After pulling away, she turned her head to place one more little kiss at the back of his jawline, and then whispered in his ear.

"Now I really wish we were alone."

Sherlock's eyes resembled saucers as she pulled away and gave him a sly little smile. He cleared his throat as she slid away again to her own place at the table.

"Noted…perhaps something to consider the next time anything sentimental threatens to come out of my mouth."

"Speaking of which," Molly added after taking a much needed sip of cool water. "I enjoyed the notes you emailed on hugging. It was really sweet."

"Sweet?" He frowned. "I'm not sure how. It was actually meant to be more of a clinical description."

"Well, maybe it would be if I knew it wasn't about how you felt hugging me. But since it's us, I don't know, it really is romantic to read about something like that."

"Perhaps we should save all those blog entries then." He chuckled a little. "Not quite as embarrassing as what I attempted to read through this afternoon."

"Oh? And what was that?"

"Old correspondence my grandparents wrote to each other. They were interesting in some way, but in other ways a bit difficult to get through. It is perhaps a mercy they have both passed away seeing as I'm not entirely sure I could look them in the eyes again."

"Love letters?" Molly giggles. "Doesn't sound like your family at all!"

"This was from my father's side of the family. Very different from my mother's side, which I believe Mycroft and I favor."

The wine arrived at that point and the waiter poured them a glass, assuring them that their food was on its way.

"I made sure there was going to be dancing here tonight."

Molly almost choked on her wine. "Dancing? Oh I- I don't really dance," she said with a nervous laugh.

"Nonsense, I've seen you dance."

"Yeah, just for fun. I've seen you dance too! And you're actually, you know…good!"

"Well, let's see just how good we both are after dinner, hm?"

Molly gave him a hesitant smile, hoping she wouldn't end up causing the romance to absolutely crash and burn.

Dinner came and went rather quickly. Not only did they both happily devour their fabulous meals, but they were also speaking animatedly about a study on human genetics that Molly was hoping to get to be a part of. The time really did fly.

A few minutes after their plates were cleared, Molly's heart sank a little as Sherlock reached his hand out and gestured to the very small and unoccupied dance floor. Well, except for one adorable older couple who had been up there alone for the past half dozen songs.

She could hardly turn him down though, so she took his hand and followed him onto the floor.

The second Sherlock took her in his arms though, she was distracted from her fears, and once again began wishing they were alone.

His arm wrapped so securely around her back so that she felt like half her weight wasn't hers to carry anymore. Instead of holding her hand out, he held it against his chest and she could feel his heart beating beneath. And they were close, so close that it only made her realize they were not nearly close enough.

It took her a moment to remember that her feet were supposed to be doing something. _Oh._ Upon looking down she realized that her feet were miraculously doing just fine.

"This seemed a good time to keep things rather simple," he whispered, seeming to read her thoughts. "I can't fathom a complex dance at the moment."

Molly nodded, gazing up at him. "Yeah, me neither."

"And how does this make you…feel?"

She gave him an amused smile. "What do you mean?"

"I thought perhaps some of the data collected should come from you, instead of just from my own personal observations…"

Molly's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Oh?"

Sherlock's head tilted a bit. "Actually, it was Mary's idea, but I liked it."

Molly smiled. "Well, she's a smart lady. It's hard to say how I'm feeling though. It's a bit overwhelming. I mean, dancing with you- moving with you- like this, it's quite an experience I'd say. My heart is pounding, probably about as fast as yours is under my fingers. And I feel hot and flushed like I need air, but at the same time I just want to be wrapped up in you! Like I might freeze to death if I don't have your arms around me. It's a feeling that's both invigorating and exhausting all at once." She swallowed and dropped her voice a little. "It's that sort of madness every time you've got your arms around me."

Sherlock watched her speak with fiery eyes. Without warning, he dipped down and caught her lips as they continued swaying just a little. Molly was instantly aware that the pace of this kiss would not do for the dance floor of a restaurant, so she pulled away, both of them now hyper aware of exactly what the other was feeling. If the detective's eyes were aflame before, now they were an absolute inferno.

His gaze flicked away for a moment though, as he observed the pianist slowing the song to a halt.

"So…we danced," Molly stated softly.

"We did." He released her slowly, taking her hand instead as they walked back to their table.

"The owner had offered a complimentary dessert if you're interested," Sherlock added as they took their seats.

Molly's eyes were still locked to his. "Maybe I could take mine…for later."

"Ah. Full?"

"Yep."

"We could always stay for coffee if you'd-"

"No, that's ok," Molly declined with a little smile.

"Tired?" Sherlock questioned, and something about the word was a little breathless.

"No."

"I see." He paused for another moment before running his fingers along the bill that lay on the table. "Shall we pay and-"

"Yes, I think so," Molly answered instantly.

Sherlock drew a deep breath as he waved the waiter over to collect the bill and payment. In less than five minutes, Sherlock and Molly had exited the restaurant with their dessert takeaway in hand, and were standing ready to hail a cab.

As they climbed in a cab, Sherlock turned and looked at Molly a bit hesitantly.

"I believe Baker Street is closer, but if you'd like to go to your flat first…"

"No, that's ok," Molly said with a soft smile as she scooted over closer.

Sherlock looked a little flustered for a moment, but finally leaned forward and gave his address to the cabbie. He settled back as they began driving and didn't seem to mind at all when Molly laid her head on his shoulder. A moment later she tilted her face up to look at him in the darkened cab and found their noses almost touching. One feathery touch of her lips to his seemed to figuratively strike the match.

Molly began to realize something as their lips parted, kisses became deeper, and she leaned closer against him. There was something new now. The excitement and intoxication and pleasure was all still there and wonderful as ever, but now there was also something softer and more comforting. It was the addition of familiarity. Kissing Sherlock had begun to feel like coming home. And home had never been quite this delicious.

_Put that in your blog,_ she thought with a little giggle as Sherlock's lips traveled to her neck.

The cab thankfully came to a stop in just a few minutes. When it did though, Sherlock suddenly looked unsure. He leaned forward and paid the cab driver, and then pressed another kiss to Molly's lips.

"Goodnight, Molly," he whispered, and got out of the cab.

He whirled around, seeming genuinely surprised when Molly climbed out of the cab behind him. Before he could open his mouth though, the cabbie called out the window.

"'Scuse me, but did you want change?"

Molly gave Sherlock a demure smile. "That is a bit much for just the one stop."

"I- I thought…I just assumed you would be…"

"I'd like to be right here," Molly stated softly but firmly. "That is, if it's ok."

"I asked if you want change!" the cabbie called out again.

Sherlock finally looked at the cabbie. "No, no change!" He looked softly at Molly again for a moment. "Feeling suddenly generous."

A smile spread on Molly's lips and her eyes brightened as the cabbie drove away and Sherlock opened the flat door for them to enter. They made their way through the doorway, slowly stepping into the darkened entryway. Sherlock leaned past Molly to shut and bold the door, and for some reason they stayed frozen like that for a moment. Standing there staring at each other, only a breath away in the dark. Sherlock's voice finally cut through the silence, deep and vibrating.

"So…you're staying."

"I wanted to, yeah," she whispered, smiling a little at what appeared to be nerves peeking out of from the made-of-steel detective.

He leaned down to catch her off guard with a languidly passionate kiss. This seemed to be a habit of his, which she decided she found endearing as she clung to him. She honestly couldn't always predict when he was about to kiss or embrace her. Perhaps he couldn't either, seeing as he was still learning and likely very much at the mercy of his own impulses.

When he finally pulled away, Sherlock's hand found hers in the darkness and he laced their fingers together tightly, further expressing his agreement by leading her up the stairs toward his door. They stopped again though, once reaching it, and Sherlock spoke suddenly.

"Perhaps I missed some sort of cue and should have been the one to invite you in. I just wasn't sure before- didn't want to assume- that you'd welcome such an offer. In hindsight though, perhaps I should have spoken first. I wouldn't want to give the impression that I don't want this. Because I _do_ _want this."_

Molly grinned with an accompanying blush. "You don't have to apologize. I didn't mind being the one to…suggest this. I am glad we're taking a moment before going inside though. Because there is something I'd like to say."

"Oh?"

She stepped closer, lazily splaying her hands over his chest while looking up at him. "You remember when I told you that anything that goes on _The Science of Deduction_ would need to be cleared with me first?"

"Yes." His voice was barely a whisper now, and just a bit unsteady.

Molly nodded. "Well I just thought I'd save you some time," she said with a playful little smirk. "Just wanted to be clear about everything that's going to happen once we walk through that door."

He swallowed thickly "What about it, exactly?"

Molly kept her eyes on his but slid one hand away from his chest to turn the doorknob behind him.

"Absolutely none of it will be fit for your blog."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *heart eyes* Ok so I'll have one more chapter coming with this fic and then that'll be it. And I'll definitely be posting at some point before Jan 1st. Then it'll be into my series 4 bunker with my survival supplies till Jan 16th lol! Please do give me feedback, I'd love to hear it as always. And thanks for giving this a read. ;)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo! Last one, my friends! Enjoy! ;)

**ONE MONTH LATER**

_The Science of Deduction_

… _And in conclusion, the simple act of cohabitation between two people can create a surprising sense of fulfillment and contentment. There is an unexpected comfort in glancing over and seeing that other person, either just there or doing something mundane. It seems illogical that something so simple could cause such a hard hitting chemical and emotional reaction. And yet, there you have it._

_I can now personally recommend not only a deep emotional and romantic relationship, but also one that involves actually living together. This has become yet another aspect of the experience that has pleasantly surprised me and changed my life for the better. I am once again forced to admit that there was something rather large that I had previously missed._

_-S. Holmes_

_COMMENTS_

_November 21, 08:50 Anonymous- I think it's worth mentioning that when deciding that you'd like to begin cohabitation with your significant other, it would be an awfully nice touch to actually inform them that that's your wish. Just so they're not caught off guard when they start noticing your things around their flat. Just saying._

_November 21, 09:02 Sherlock Holmes- Molly, I know this is you. It's pointless to comment anonymously_

_November 21, 09:07 Molly Hooper- Ok fine, it's me! But it's true! Why didn't you ask first?_

_November 21, 09: 08 Sherlock Holmes- I was very sure we had discussed it._

_November 21, 09: 08 Molly Hooper- No, we never had. You probably discussed it with yourself!_

_November 21, 09: 11 Sherlock Holmes- …Possible_

_November 21, 09: 12 Molly Hooper- Probable._

_November 21, 09:14 Sherlock Holmes- So…what's your answer? I realize this may have caught you off guard, but at this point I can't exactly take it back. So perhaps we should simply decide what to do from here._

_November 21, 09:16 Molly Hooper- I think the rest of this conversation should take place off the comment section of your blog._

_November 21, 09:17 Sherlock Holmes- Agreed. I'll see you later._

Mary set her phone down, trying to hold in the giggles, and yelled over into the kitchen in 221B. "Sherlock, this latest blog entry is really something!"

"Oh yes yes, laugh all you want! I still see no reason why this should seem so ridiculous to her! Things are going really well and I don't understand why we shouldn't continue to move forward in the typical way that couples do!" He whipped off his safety glasses and came over to flop down in his chair across from Mary.

"But couples do typically have a conversation about that sort of step _before_ moving their things into the other person's flat."

"Yes but why wouldn't she want to do it?"

"I don't think she's actually said she doesn't want to. She just wants to be properly communicated with. That's respectful, and you can't have a successful relationship without respect."

John came in with Rosie and handed her off to Mary so he could go wash his hands. "The next two nappy changes are your turn based on the level of this one. This was at least a nine."

"Fair enough," Mary agreed giving her daughter a grin and a snuggle.

"You two are rating her nappy changes?" Sherlock questioned.

"Yep. But unlike cases, you don't get to stubbornly ignore the ones that are below a five," John called over.

As he walked back over, rolling his sleeves back down, John glanced around for a moment with an expression of slight confusion. "Sherlock, did you clean up around here or something? Or get rid of some things?"

"Some of his things are at Molly's now," Mary answered.

John's eyes widened. "Really? Wow, that was quick."

Sherlock sighed. "Why does everyone seem to think this strange?!"

"I didn't say it's strange! I said quick!"

"Why is this quick? Molly and I have known each other very well for about ten years! I hardly think the only time that matters is the time we've been romantically connected!"

"Ok fine," John surrendered with an amused expression. "How about, I'm really happy for you both?"

"Why don't we save the congratulations till he actually discusses it with Molly," Mary added as an aside to her husband, at which point John pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head.

"You haven't discussed it with her yet? But you're moving your things into her place already?!" John's volume was increasing in typical fashion.

"John, shh, the baby," Sherlock attempted while pointing at the infant perched on Mary's lap, hoping that would serve as a get out of jail free card.

"I swear to God, if she doesn't kill you, then I'd say your relationship has turned out to be a success. I don't know how that woman puts up with it!"

"John, you lived with him for years!" Mary pointed out with a laugh.

"Exactly! I know what she's dealing with!"

"Oh please, you loved every minute of it," Sherlock stated with a confident little chuckle.

John gave him a warning look.

Just then Sherlock's phone chimed.

I'M DONE WITH WORK. IS IT OK IF I COME OVER? –MH

YES. I'LL BE HERE WAITING. –SH

"Well, lovely chatting!" Sherlock announced, hopping up from his chair and heading over to abruptly open the door for his friends. "Molly's on her way over."

"Yeah, good luck with that, mate." John shook his head while taking Rosie from Mary so she could get her coat on.

"You'll text us later, right?" Mary asked Sherlock as they made their way out.

"Why?"

"Because we want to know how it turned out! And besides, it'll let us know she hasn't actually killed you if you send some shred of communication."

"Hilarious." Sherlock smirked at the Watsons as he waved them off.

"Text us!" Mary called one more time before the door shut.

Sherlock spend the next twenty minutes thinking very seriously. Yes, he could admit that perhaps he chose an unorthodox way to broach the subject of living together. But solemn reflection did not alter how he felt about the actual idea. He wanted to be with Molly. He wanted to be with her absolutely as much as possible. He couldn't think of a better way to accomplish that besides living together, possibly including marriage down the road. And despite the fact that Molly seemed to be having a difficult time with the plan at the moment, he believed deep down that she wanted to live with him as well. The way she clung to him when they said goodbye and leapt to greet him with kisses when they met again, the way she snuggled close in bed or combed her fingers gently through his hair every time she passed by where he was sitting…it truly did seem like the place that Molly Hooper most wanted to be was with him.

Suddenly, he absolutely couldn't wait to see the marvelous woman.

He hurried over when the door opened and she stepped over the threshold and closed the door again, instantly swiveling her around to lean against the door as he cradled her precious face and consumed her lips with kisses. Her surprise seemed to melt away quickly and she dropped her bag on the floor in order to wrap both arms around him and pull him in close.

"I missed you," he murmured against her jawline as he dipped his head down to find that particularly preferred spot on the side of her neck.

"Missed you too," she responded breathily, as her grip on the back of his shirt tightened.

Sherlock released the skin of her neck and came up to meet her lips again, but that was when she jumped a bit and pulled away.

"Wait, we can't do this right now," she stated, looking him seriously in the eyes.

"Why not?"

"Because I came over to talk about this…situation." She crossed her arms over her chest, her expression hardening a bit. "You'd better not be trying to manipulate things."

He stepped away, knowing it was best to yield. "No I am not manipulating. I had simply missed my…girlfriend."

Molly spared a moment for an amused smirk. "You're getting better and better at using the word without making a funny face."

"Yes, well, as you can see, I am rather serious about all of this." He took a seat in his chair and Molly followed to sit across from him.

"Yes," Molly stated slowly. "I can see you're serious. I just think you need to understand that you can't make a decision that's so big without asking me first. Especially because you're talking about _my_ flat. Which brings me to a question…why my flat?"

"Because to me, your flat is comfort and home."

The look in her eyes conveyed her surprise. "Is it?"

"Of course. First of all, I've been there so very many times when I genuinely needed safety. And then most importantly, you're there," he said with a little smile. "You have always made me feel safe and loved."

"Wow," Molly breathed, looking like she was a little choked up. But she cleared her throat and spoke again. "I never imagined you wanting to leave Baker St."

"I wouldn't leave it."

Molly's brow crinkled. "But I thought you just said you wanted to move in with me."

"Yes, I do. But I'd keep Baker St of course. It would become a bit more of a work space for me than a living space. An office, a lab, a place to go when I need to think or not disturb you. I believe having both flats will actually work quite well for both of us!"

Molly pressed her lips together, silently considering this for a moment. "And…and you'd really want to live with me? I mean, really permanently?"

Sherlock tilted his head, a little surprised at her disbelief. "Have I not proved that I want this over the past month?" he asked softly.

"No, you have. I believe you," she answered quickly. "I suppose it's still just taking some time for me to get used to. It's still hard to wrap my mind around. And I keep waiting for the day when you might just, I don't know…"

"Get bored?"

Her eyes shot to his and he could tell he'd hit the nail on the head.

"Molly, I told you this wasn't all just some experiment. Yes, I wanted to experience it and learn about it first hand, but I also want to _live it._ I don't want it to end. And I can say that with even deeper conviction now that we've been together for a time. Things have…progressed for me."

"Progressed?"

He gulped. Maybe this was the time to say it, but he'd never really attempted such a thing, so the words seemed awfully heavy for his tongue to lift and push out.

"I- I…" He sucked in a deep breath. "Molly, I love you."

Her jaw dropped a little first, but then the corners of her lips quickly began tugging upward.

"You do?" she whispered.

Sherlock could only nod in confirmation.

Molly's little smile turned to a grin and she got up to come over and sit herself on his lap and embrace him, burying her face in his neck.

"I love you too," she said in return. "Not that you don't know that already."

Sherlock's grip around her tightened. "Yes, but I'm beginning to understand the meaning in hearing it."

Finally Molly pulled away to look at him with an accompanying little sniff and swiping at her eyes. "Ok so now that we've talked, maybe we can seriously think about this whole living together thing."

His eyes brightened. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yes. But I'll have to work out some of the particulars and get back to you. I want to do this, but I just want to be organized and not overlook anything important. Ok?"

"Ok," Sherlock agreed before tugging her in to kiss her with newfound fervor.

Molly responded just as enthusiastically and Sherlock was just about to slip an arm under her legs in order to stand and carry her down the hallway, but then she pulled away abruptly again.

"Look, I just want to be clear that you can't charge ahead like this in the future, ok? We have to make decisions together and be level headed. I want this, I want is _so much_ that it almost hurts, but I also want to do things properly."

He stared at her, listening intently, and finally nodded. "Completely understood."

Molly exhaled, looking satisfied. "Ok good. Now, um…carry on," she said with a little gleam in her eyes.

Sherlock wasted no time in obeying.

* * *

**SIX MONTHS LATER**

Molly stretched and rolled over to see Sherlock already sitting up in bed and scrolling through something on his mobile. The morning sun illuminated his shirtless torso and the dark curls atop his head were endearingly tousled from a night on the pillow. She had to bite her lip from letting out a little laugh. Instead she scooted closer.

"Hi," she whispered, draping an arm across his middle.

"Morning," he replied softly, glancing over at her briefly.

"You have a case?"

"Just checking my emails. There's hardly anything worth my time," he said with a little sigh.

"Oh good," Molly chirped, snuggling closer. "I get you all to myself then. Well, at least till I have to go to work at two."

The corner of his lips lifted as he looked over at her. "Coffee first?"

She nodded. "Yes, please."

Sherlock threw on his dressing gown and headed out to the kitchen and she smiled as she heard him turning the coffee machine on. This sort of thing was a bit new, and Molly had to admit that she enjoyed it. He had begun routinely doing things for her more often in the recent weeks. Making coffee, grabbing something at the market, picking up dinner without being asked when she'd had a long day. She loved him for all those little things, and it made her all the more determined to bring something very particular up this morning…

"There you go." Sherlock handed her the steaming cup a few minutes later and settled into the bed again.

Molly sipped the comforting brew and then smiled at Sherlock as she set her mug on the side table. She leaned one elbow on the pillow, half reclining.

"I was thinking we could talk," she stated softly.

Sherlock glanced at her mid-sip, and then set his mug down as well, clearly noting her serious expression. He reclined in a similar fashion, watching her with interest now.

"You have my attention."

Something about the way he said it made her consider abandoning their conversation and embarking on a different sort of non-verbal activity…but no, she wanted to do this first. Plenty of time for all that later!

"So, I've been thinking about us a lot lately," she said, pausing to swallow thickly. This was making her a bit more nervous than she'd anticipated. It was a pretty big deal, and she supposed that she was risking scaring him off a bit.

"Out with it, Molly, come on," he prompted gently.

She drew a breath and let it out slowly. "Ok ok. Um, well, I was thinking about how well this has turned out- our little experiment." She gave him a little smile. "And it got me wondering about, you know…perhaps changing the parameters."

Something in Sherlock's gaze shifted. "Yes?" he softly encouraged.

"It's just that I love you so much and what we have together is just wonderful, so it seems like we could do something else, well, _really_ amazing."

His eyes continued brightly glued to hers, clearly in suspense for what she'd say next.

"Have you ever thought, or would you maybe consider…" Molly reached over to lace her fingers with his. "A little experiment in parenting?"

Sherlock's wide eyed gaze remained frozen for a moment, making Molly forget to breathe. But just before she was about to kindly give him an out, he spoke.

"Do you mean it?"

Molly's brow lifted. "Well, yeah, of course. Wouldn't have worked myself up to asking if I didn't mean it," she said with a nervous little laugh.

Very slowly, Sherlock's lips began to lift in a wide smile. He suddenly lunged forward to press a kiss to her lips and then hopped up excitedly from the bed. "Oh finally!" he exclaimed with a clap of his hands.

"What?" Molly sat up, smiling, but looking on in confusion as Sherlock began rummaging under their bed and then placed a box atop the covers and opened it.

"I've been compiling all types of useful information for weeks now! I was waiting till either you brought up the subject, or I was sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that I could bring it up without you reacting badly!"

Molly was laughing by now and staring at the open box full of books with amazement. "Y-you got all these? For us?"

He began happily handing over book after book to her, explaining each one as he did. "There's information on a woman's fertility cycle and the easiest times to conceive, there's information on staying healthy during the pregnancy, preparing for and choosing the best birth options, breastfeeding tips and typical infant growth patterns, baby names…oh! And there's even one on baby proofing and safe nursery decoration and furniture! There is such a wealth of fascinating information at our fingertips and I cannot wait to begin this entire process!" He blew out a breath and placed his hands on his hips, looking a little winded now as well as awfully excited.

Molly looked around the bed at the pile of books surrounding her. She shook her head in elated disbelief and grinned at him as she shoved the books aside and got up on her knees to make her way over to the edge of the bed where she could reach him.

Molly gripped the lapels of his dressing gown and stared into his eyes. "Do you know how much I love you?" she whispered.

She could have sworn his cheeks got a little rosy.

He tilted his head in playful thought process. "I have a bit of an idea, yes." His hands slid up her hips and around her waist.

Her eyes sparkled a little as she began to tug him forward. "Care for me to show you just how much? Because I'm pretty sure there's one or two things that I don't really need one of these books for."

Sherlock's eyes brightened considerably then. His hands left her hips briefly to dramatically sweep every book to the floor with a lot of corresponding thuds, which made Molly laugh aloud as he came back over to encircle her waist again and cradle her as they both landed back on the bed.

For a moment, they both passionately dove in and drowned in a kiss, deep and moving. But when Sherlock pulled away, he looked at her intently, eyes sweeping her face as he gulped a breath.

"This will change our lives, Sherlock," Molly whispered, noting his expression while tugging at the shoulders of his dressing gown. "Are you sure you're ready for that?"

He nodded. "I feel quite ready for anything at the moment."

Molly gave him a teasing little smile. "For the sake of science?"

"No," he whispered more intensely- more seriously. "Granted, a fascinating benefit, but no. Not for science."

" _For us."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fun little fic! :) And yes, once again I ended with a baby, lol. Maybe I'm predictable, but I don't care. I say a baby is never boring! XD So anyway, now I'm all done with my WIP and I'm ready to buckle up for series 4. Hope you all enjoy it! And let's hope it contains lots of fun scenes and inspiration! :D  
> Thanks again, Lexie! ;))


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